Jaguars offensive line riddled with losses

Manuwai out for season; Williams could be, too

They probably lost their two starting guards, Vince Manuwai and Mo Williams, for the season with injuries suffered Sunday in Tennessee.

Coach Jack Del Rio announced Monday that Manuwai suffered a torn ACL in his right knee and will undergo reconstructive surgery.

"It's disappointing. My '08 season is over," said Manuwai as he talked to reporters on crutches outside the locker room.

Manuwai, who said he'll undergo surgery after the swelling goes down, said he also tore his MCL.

Del Rio added that Williams, the other starting guard, suffered a ruptured biceps, which means he'll be out several weeks and could join Manuwai on the injured reserve list.

But Del Rio said a final decision on Williams' status hasn't yet been made.

"We'll sort through that between him and the doctors and decide what the best decision is going forward," Del Rio said.

With Manuwai and Williams out, the Jaguars are missing four of their top nine linemen because center Brad Meester is already out with a biceps injury and backup tackle Richard Collier was critically shot a week ago.

The Jaguars will now have to search for new backups. Aside from the five current starters, the only other offensive lineman on the roster is Charles Spencer, a tackle who was signed last week. They also have rookie Drew Miller, a former Florida player, on the practice squad.

When Spencer signed a week ago, Del Rio said, "We'd like to give him an opportunity to rehabilitate himself and earn a role. We'll take our time with him."

Spencer broke his leg two games into his rookie season in 2006 with the Texans, but the Jaguars no longer have time for him to rehabilitate.

Del Rio said Monday that Spencer is now ready to play.

The Jaguars will be searching for more linemen in the next few days.

"We're going to need to take a good look at the available talent in the offensive line and bring in some people and get them coached up and get them up to speed as quickly as possible," Del Rio said.

One possibility Del Rio mentioned was veteran guard Chris Liwienski, who was signed on July 31 and then released on Aug. 25.

The only good news that Del Rio had Monday was that guard Uche Nwaneri, who went out with a knee injury Sunday and then returned after Manuwai went down, will be able to play next Sunday.

That means the Jaguars will have three backups starting in the interior of their line against the Bills and former Jaguars defensive lineman Marcus Stroud, who was traded to Buffalo in the offseason.

Dennis Norman will be at center with Nwaneri at left guard and nine- year veteran Tutan Reyes at right guard.

The two tackles, Khalif Barnes and Tony Pashos, are the only two original starters still healthy.

Barnes, who has played next to Manawai in his four years with the Jaguars, said, "It's going to be tough. I've been playing next to Vinny since I was a rookie' "You can't make excuses. Nobody is going to feel sorry for you."

Barnes had the difficult task of taking on Kyle VandenBosch of the Titans Sunday and did a good job except for one play when he tried to cut him. VandenBosch blew past him and caused a sack and a fumble.

"That put a damper on my day," Barnes said, though his overall performance was given good reviews.

Reyes and Nwaneri, the two new starters, were both drafted in the fifth round. Reyes was taken by New Orleans in 2000 and Nwaneri by Houston in 2007.

Reyes, who's been with four other teams, has started 34 games in his eight years; Nwaneri will be making his second start.

When Reyes was working as a bank loan officer during the 2007 offseason before the Jaguars signed him late in camp on Aug. 20, the thought crossed his mind that his career might be over.

"When nobody is calling, you always have that in the back of your mind. I still believed that as that point I had some football left in me and I still feel that way now," Reyes said.